New York Islanders’ Casey Cizikas (53) pokes the puck away from Anaheim Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf (15) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Once they got a two-goal lead, the New York Islanders shifted into defense-first mode for the better part of the final two periods of an eventual 3-0 victory Sunday over the Ducks. When they needed to make a push an attempt to get back into the game, the Ducks couldn’t do it.

Coach Barry Trotz mastered that style of play for many seasons while coaching the Nashville Predators. He loosened the reins considerable while coaching the Washington Capitals, a far more offensively gifted team than either the Predators or Islanders, but the principles were the same:

Get a lead and lock down the opposition.

The Ducks skated into New York’s version of the 1-3-1, which used to be referred to as the neutral-zone trap, and couldn’t emerge with a goal let alone a victory. The Ducks managed only 19 shots on Robin Lehner’s net and the Islanders were never in serious jeopardy after taking a 2-0 lead.

Ducks goaltender Chad Johnson watched it unfold from his crease and felt for his frustrated teammates as they attempted to provide him with some offensive support in only his second start and third appearance since the team claimed him off waivers Dec. 11 from the St. Louis Blues.

“They’ll let you control the puck and cycle and go high to low, low to high, then they just take the (passing and shooting) lanes away,” Johnson said. “They just make you take shots from the outside and they can control the play from there.

“They were just comfortable on their heels, really, for the second half of the game. They were just sitting back with five guys in front of their net. It’s hard to play against. It’s frustrating. They really clogged the front of their net. You can’t get a shot through.”

Even during the Ducks’ lone power play, the Islanders retreated and formed a tight four-man box in front of Lehner. Most teams, especially in the Western Conference, have pressured the Ducks’ power-play units on the perimeter, forcing them to make quicker passes than they would like.

It was as if the Islanders parked a big blue bus in front of their net. The Ducks couldn’t generate anything while New York’s Casey Cizikas sat in the penalty box for two minutes for slashing in the closing minutes of the first period. A goal might have chanced the complexion of the game.

“They executed on some plays,” Johnson said. “We had opportunities. They just didn’t go in. Once they got the lead they’re pretty hard to play against. They’re pretty stingy with the puck. It’s hard to get inside. If you do get some shots, it’s hard because you don’t get many quality chances.”

THE DAY SHIFT

Ducks defenseman Josh Manson couldn’t remember ever playing afternoon games on consecutive days, as the Ducks did in defeating the New Jersey Devils on Saturday and losing to the Islanders on Sunday. Saturday’s game was at 1 p.m. local time and Sunday’s was at 3 p.m.

“It was weird,,” he said. “Just trying to adjust. What time you eat. What time you wake up. What time you do everything that you do in your pregame routine. At the end of the day, we’re professionals. We’re paid to do this. There’s no excuses. You can’t be using that as an excuse for why we came up short.”

Elliott Teaford covers the Anaheim Ducks for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. He covered the Ducks for 12 years, including the Stanley Cup season, for the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Breeze before returning to the beat in 2018 for SCNG. He also covered the Lakers for five seasons, including their back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and '10. He once made a jump shot over future Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton during a pickup game in 1980 at Cypress College.

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.